The Towering Spires of Cathedral Grove

When talk turns to Vancouver Island’s natural wonders, especially where trees are concerned, it seldom takes long before the name Cathedral Grove is mentioned. This well loved roadside attraction, located near Cameron Lake on Highway 4, rarely suffers from a lack of attention. Whether you’re bound for the Alberni Valley, or the coastal charms of Tofino, discovering this enclave of ancient, towering trees never fails to inspire!

Going the Distance with the Chuvalo Fir

It was the strangest of apparitions on a cool, rainy morning in the Nahmint River Valley. A gnarled, towering, broken topped Douglas fir, rising abruptly into the mist, beckoning us to make its acquaintance. We had to investigate! Though the tree was a relatively short distance away, precarious ground made for a painstakingly slow approach, and the nearer we got, the more peculiar it became!

An Audience With The Alberni Giant

This year, I’ve been generously introduced to the wonders of the Nahmint River Valley, an irrepressible wilderness to which I have grown increasingly attached with each successive visit.

Autumn Begins on Klitsa Mountain

It was 3am on a Monday morning when I rolled reluctantly out of bed, making it as far as the couch. You know, I used to be an early riser once, but that’s become something reserved for special occasions these days. Forcing down coffee and breakfast while reading my computer screen in the fading darkness, my eyes came to rest upon a sentence: “430 am and heading for a hike, Mt Klitsa, here we come!”